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Boy Scouts of America, DeLeon District holds awards banquet, honors fallen Eagle Scout

  • J.R. Ortega •
  • Originally published January 21, 2011 at 9:24 p.m., updated January 27, 2011 at 11:45 a.m.

  • 2010 EAGLE SCOUTSStephen Christopher Troop 110

    Alexander Joseph Innes Troop 363

    John M. Pearce Troop 242

    Andrew P. Polasek Troop 364

    Robert Schaefer Troop 108

    Alexander Keehs Troop 363

    Patrick A. Locher Troop ...

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    • 2010 EAGLE SCOUTSStephen Christopher Troop 110

    Alexander Joseph Innes Troop 363

    John M. Pearce Troop 242

    Andrew P. Polasek Troop 364

    Robert Schaefer Troop 108

    Alexander Keehs Troop 363

    Patrick A. Locher Troop 364

    Colton Wauson Troop 364

    Daniel Mejia Troop 364

    Jonnathan Stethem Troop 113

    Samuel R. Followill Troop 363

    Zachry Clayton Mueller Troop 364

    Jacob Burnett Troop 113

    Michael Hackbarth Troop 364

    Samuel Duran Troop 110

    James "Stan" Beck Troop 363

    Christopher E. Schneider Troop 368

    2010 EAGLE SCOUTS WITH PALMSJoseph Bednarczyk Troop 104

    James Tyler Bonorden Troop 364

    Kevin Parma Troop 364

    Andrew Polasek Troop 364

    ARROW OF LIGHT - SUPER ACHIEVERS AWARDSChristopher Elizondo Pack 62

    Nicholas Elizondo Pack 62

    Gage Lemke Pack 62

    Dillan Sievers Pack 62

    Kenneth Groll Pack 62

    Montavius Coleman Pack 62

    Keagan Friedrichs Pack 101

    Travis Battaile Pack 104

    Hunter Bay Pack 104

    Tres Burris Pack 104

    James Hill Pack 104

    Ross Smitherman Pack 104

    Cameron Wells Pack 104

    Michael Garcia Pack 114

    Gregory McCarthy Pack 114

    Brett Noble Pack 114

    Michael Puentes Pack 114

    Trey Rice Pack 114

    Anthony Belt Pack 364

    Alfred Garcia III Pack 364

    Miguel Garza Pack 364

    Zachary Edgley Pack 366

    Timothy Cockroft Pack 422

    Hunter Krause Pack 422

    TOP POPCORN INDIVIDUAL SELLERSSpencer Shilinga Pack 101

    Colton Letbetter Pack 101

    Hunter Thomas Pack 114

    Alex Bonorden Pack 364

    Jason Drane Troop 101

    Ethan Drane Pack 101

    Tyron Hodge Jr. Troop 104

    Samuel Bonorden Troop 364

    Grayson Seals Pack 364

    TOP POPCORN UNIT SELLERSPack 101

    Pack 364

    Pack 104

    Troop 104

The past six months have been emotionally trying for Deborah Locher, who lost her only son in a motorcycle accident in August.

But at the Boy Scouts of America DeLeon District awards banquet Friday night, the memory of her son, Patrick Locher, was rekindled.

"I'm very proud," she said as tears filled her eyes and a smile spread across her face. "He worked very hard in Scouts for 13 years." His father, Tim Locher helped him with his final project in cabinetry.

The 2010 class of Eagle Scouts was dedicated in her 17-year-old son's memory.

Arrow of Light - Super Achiever awards and other awards to the Scouts in the DeLeon district were passed out.

Patrick had become an Eagle Scout, the highest honor a Scout can earn, on the day he died, said Dave Kouba, district advancement chairman.

"I get to know all the Eagles very well," Kouba said. "It was very important to him. He wanted it very much."

Patrick was in Troop 364 with long-time best friend Daniel Mejia.

Life has gone on for Daniel, who received therapy after his best friend's death.

Daniel has spent the time after Patrick's death doing things not only for himself, but also for Patrick, who would have been a senior at Victoria East High School.

"I'm graduating for myself, but I'm also graduating for him," he said.

Both Patrick and Daniel were very into their position as Eagle Scouts.

Patrick wanted to be a role model for the Boy Scouts who wanted to be the best and highest honored Scout they wanted to be, Daniel said.

Joseph Bednarczyk, an Eagle Scout with Troop 104, used to be in the same troop as Patrick and Daniel.

Joseph, 15, remembers learning about Patrick's death.

"I thought, 'a kid like Patrick Locher could not die,'" Joseph said.

Joseph admitted he didn't know too much about Patrick, but said Patrick, who was several years older, treated him with respect.

Being an Eagle Scout requires a lot of responsibility and they are seen as a role model, which is what Joseph considered Patrick.

"He didn't look down upon me. He would actually talk with me and help me out with anything I needed," he said. "He was the best person and best Boy Scout I ever met."

Patrick's mother is still involved with scouting and will continue that tradition her family started 13 years ago.

"Scouting is a community of people that give back to their community," she said. "It's very important to stay involved even afterwards. Scouting gives you so much as a family, which is always important to remember."

Corrected Jan. 26, 2011.